Why did you choose the Pocket Ship?

[MSR]

Hello. I'm researching home-built boats (even though I don't intend to begin for a couple of years yet - I like to plan ahead) and the Pocket Ship has made it into my current short-list.

I would be interested in hearing about how others came to the decision to build the Pocket Ship and not something else. And what were the "something elses" that you originally considered, but rejected, and why?

To kick off, other current residents on my short-list include the Adelie 16 or Vagabond 18 from Bateau.com and a couple of Selway-Fisher designs (I keep changing my mind about exactly which ones). Most of the others I've looked at tend to disqualify themselves on the grounds of being too big/too heavy/too difficult to trailer/too complicated and involved to build.

I'd also be interested in hearing about any improvements or modifications to the design which builders would suggest for future models. Bearing in mind that I'm not starting straight away, there is probably time for the design to evolve based on user-feedback.

And what form might the Mk.II model take? As I look at the drawings, despite it's very compact, efficient and graceful appearance as it is, I do wonder what an extra couple of feet would do for the Pocket Ship's lines. For instance, what would you think about the idea of a ketch rig combined with an extra 3/4 feet of overall length? Given that this would substantially increase displacement, how about a water ballast tank to keep trailer weight down?

Cheers,
Mike

[sean]

As someone who has decided this summer to take the plunge with the pocket ship, I’ll give my 2 cents here. Like many of us I have always wanted to build a sailboat, and now facing an in-between jobs phase, figure this will be the best opportunity I’ll have. I wanted something where I knew I could expect to be able to build a high quality boat in a finite amount of time, something easy to store / pull, yet something that is substantial enough for some off-shore cruising and being easy/fun to sail.

I too have dreamed of adding 1-2 feet in length to the boat, allowing you to add a lot more cabin room and a slightly faster hull speed. Yet then I came back to trying to keep the project manageable. It just becomes that much more laboring to build: scarfing one more sheet of plywood for the added length and either more weight or a water ballast just adds a bunch more either weight (need a truck to pull), or to the complexity of the boat. If I was retired and had plenty of time... then maybe.

I also wanted something I like the look of. Something that I could be proud of. I love the look of it on-line, so the next step was seeing it in person. My one hesitation came from the smaller foot well compared to that commonly seen in cruising sailboats (at least to my limited observation). After sitting in it at the Wooden boat show (CT) I found that there are plenty of ways to sit in them, even for 3 people in the cockpit. I am sure this is a trade-off giving more leg room underneath. After finally deciding to go for it, we had the privilege of having Geoff take us on a spin through the harbor. Though the wind was light, it really solidified my feeling that this is boat I wanted to build with really stable feeling in such a small boat, spaciousness of the cockpit and cabin, and the smoothness of the sailing it.

I have looked into some of the other boats you mentioned, but have never seriously considered them. I had built a kayak from CLC so I am familiar with their build method, and have read through the excellent manual for the pocket ship. If I had 2 years to look into it I would try to get some of the manuals of the other boats and read through them as well.

Thanks to everyone for sharing their progress on their pocket ships. I will be starting mine this fall and will be letting you guys know how it all goes.

[MSR]

Hi Sean. Thanks for the reply. So you noticed that narrow footwell too? I did worry about it. It doesn't seem wide enough to accommodate my size 10s without twisting awkwardly.

I certainly understand what you're saying about "capability creep". I've gone through the whole process of starting small, drawing inspiration from Fisher's Lynx 14 and Bateau's Adelie 14, for example, and then finding that I'd slowly worked my up to a Cape Cutter 19 or even, for a few minutes, a Bruce Roberts 27!

The problem is that, as well as building it, I also get a kick out of fiddling around at the design stage. Practically every design I've seen which I've liked has been mentally modified as I was looking at it. For instance, I was impressed with the write-up on the Swallow Boats site about their new Baycruiser which, for the size of it, manages to be remarkably light weight thanks to the extensive use of water ballast, which got me thinking about how to exploit such a feature in a combination of fixed and water... and there I go again. I'm beginning to have the awful thought that I may have to pay someone to design a custom boat after I've refined my ideas. That could probably come in at a similar price to a new one!

But I do have some firm requirements. The cabin has got to be functional not just as a place to sleep or shelter at anchor, but also for entertaining. A head and useful galley are a must, as is comfortable seating. While it'll be a single hander a lot of the time, I'm also planning for entertaining on day trips and not all of those who may come along are enamoured by crawling around on their hands and knees (some are beyond doing so thanks to age and injury, anyway). Factors such as these led to me considering what a 17 or 18 foot version might be like. That and I began to imagine how much more like a baby pilot cutter it could look if the lines could be extended... argh! Must stop!

[waywardtim]

just to further your deliberation, check this out, although not classicaly lined, its very capable and free!
http://www.boatdesign.net/nyd/P590/